


The Father

by Aaven



Series: Consequences of Good Intentions [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Alec Lightwood Being an Idiot, Alec Lightwood Loves Magnus Bane, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Asmodeus Being an Asshole (Shadowhunter Chronicles), Bad Parent Asmodeus (Shadowhunter Chronicles), Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Dark Alec Lightwood, Demon Summoning, Emotionally Hurt Magnus Bane, M/M, Minor Character Death, Mundane Magnus Bane, Powerless Magnus Bane, Protective Alec Lightwood, Sort Of, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:09:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25407424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aaven/pseuds/Aaven
Summary: Who knew Free Will isn't free?After all, they say the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.And even the best of intentions can have the most severe consequences.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: Consequences of Good Intentions [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1840192
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25





	The Father

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, I hope you all enjoy  
> This is my first story for this fandom so I hope I did it justice!

Alec stared at the summoning circle critically, checking for the fourth time over the past few minutes that he’d drawn the symbols and sigils correctly in the exact order as in the book.

A quiet whimper from behind him made him stiffen, then relax when his mind remembered what he’d brought with him for this special occasion.

He’d thought it some kind of miracle or blessing from the angels themselves that Jia had found what looked like a part of one of Ragnor Fells many missing spell books buried under mountains of old documents and reports in the Claves bottom tier archives. She’d sent it to the New York Institute immediately in the hopes that Magnus could confirm its authenticity and translate the carefully scripted words. Though Alec made sure his boyfriend never knew of the books' existence, he still followed through with checking its credibility by contacting a few of the Warlock contacts they’d used for Downworlder business before they’d met Magnus.

The contact who had agreed to meet with him had confirmed that it was indeed from one of Ragnor’s many spellbooks and informed Alec to put it in either the Spiral Labyrinth or Silent City for safeguarding. Alec had pressed about why, using the excuse that he’d need a reason to use such precautions for a seemingly innocent book, he felt like he was punched in the chest by the Warlock's answer.

“It’s a way to summon all the Royalty of Hell, both past and present, notwithstanding.” The Warlock said with a haunted look in their heterochromatic eyes.

“Notwithstanding?” Alec asked as he tried to comprehend what he’d just heard.

“Warlocks tend to keep track of Hell politics, namely those who wear the crown of each realm, but that’s just as a precaution of self-preservation. If you’re not specific enough during a summoning, you could end up calling on the wrong person, which in and of itself is bad, but what would make it worse if referring to them as the wrong title. But those positions, especially those of lower royalty, tend to change at the turn of a hat.” Looking over the rushed writing again as they skimmed their fingers down the page. “What Ragnor needed this information for… and more curious is how he even obtained all this in the first place is…”

Alec looked at the little book sitting on the table between them as the Warlock continued to mumble to himself; he felt something begin to settle in the pit of his stomach. An idea was forming in his head, replacing the one he’d been tossing back and forth over the last few days involving a particular medium in favor of this new and much more promising turn of events.

The hair on the back of his neck raised as an image of Magnus, his beautiful and spiritual boyfriend, sobbing his eyes out during a breakdown after trying to forget his miseries at the bottom of a bottom, not even a week ago flashed behind his eyelids when he blinked. The Lightwood family ring was still burning a hole in his pocket from that night. Though he didn’t regret not proposing, Magnus hadn’t been ready, and it’d been selfish to think he had been with so many life-altering events already happening one after another. With the idea now festering and spreading in his mind, he was sure that he’d get another chance very, very soon.

Which is where he was now, in an abandoned warehouse on the far side of Brooklyn that had been cleared of a large nest of shax demons not even twenty-four hours ago, so it still housed a bit of demonic reading that would hopefully mask what he was about to do. The book was open and ready on the page that he needed next to him as his eyes traced the holding and binding sigils next to triple check that they were applied as instructed. Though he couldn’t quite make out everything, he’d persuaded the Warlock he’d spoken with to translate most of what was on this specific page, taking mental notes of how they had pronounced the words and the diction, consonants, and vowels for later. Or more accurately, _right now_.

Another pained groan off to his right took his focus for only a moment before it snapped back to the circle to check it a fifth and final time.

Taking a deep breath, Alec grabbed the book and looked over the words, sounding them out in his head and being careful not to mouth them. Ragnor had put a small note in the margin that loosely translated as the spell would cast unintendedly if the words had any physical presence, so he took extra care to keep his mouth set in its standard thin line. Confident that he could say the intonation without a problem, he stepped up to the circle and read aloud.

The language was no doubt demonic, mostly growled from the chest and throat, but once he started, he found his mouth easily keeping up with all of the dips and accents required. Once his tongue rolled over the last word, the smell of sulfur and iron invaded Alec’s sense of smell as if someone had physically stabbed blood and ichor covered knives up his nose, making him want to choke and gage. Alec held himself with only his eyes watering from the strain and waited to see what would happen next. He didn’t need Magnus’ friend’s notes to tell him that showing anything other than his best poker face could be the critical difference of how this entire encounter would go.

Choking noises and rough coughing filled the air behind him, and he wanted to snap at all of them to shut up but refused to give them any of his attention until the time was right. They were inconsequential anyway, so it didn’t matter all that much to him if they were miserable; it wouldn’t matter here shortly. And with any luck, all of them would be feeling and experiencing worse than just inhaling hellfire fumes.

“Well, well, well,” A disembodied voice drawled around the room, earning a few shouts in surprise. Alec forced himself to keep his eyes on the circle even as he heard the frightened whimpering of his other guest behind him, not daring to take the bait so that the demon could get the jump on him for falling for his schoolyard look away trick. “If it isn’t-”

A flash of blinding red demonic light forced his eyes closed but only for a second, and he already knew who would be standing before him when he opened them again.

“Alexander Gideon Lightwood.”

“Asmodeus,” Alec said icily, giving the Greater Demon a quick look over. Noting the subtle similarities he could see between the man and Magnus helped settle the slight fear of possibly getting the wrong person but quickly pushed all that away in favor of staying on alert.

Asmodeus seemed to take in his surroundings for a minute with obvious amusement mixed with boredom before his eyes zeroed in on something over the Shadowhunter’s shoulder. Alec took a slow breath to keep his nerves in check but didn’t try to speak. Another note from the book that had written at the beginning of each summons directions. Greet who you summoned, whether the one intended or not, and then _keep your mouth fucking shut_.

“What is it that you’ve summoned me for Nephilim?” Though the demon’s eyes hadn’t moved from their other guest, Alec knew he was paying adept attention. “It is dangerous after all, summoning a Prince of Hell with nothing but your angelic magic to keep me locked in this circle.” Grinning, Asmodeus finally shifted his gaze back at him, and his eyes were an all too familiar cat slit that looked wrong on someone who wasn’t Magnus.

_Magnus._

“I’ve summoned you to get Magnus magic back.” Alec was proud when his voice didn’t waver. Not even a hint of hesitation. He was sure and confident in his conviction and actions that would lead to his boyfriend becoming whole again. As for Asmodeus' second comment, he chose to keep quiet; if he’d learned anything from working in a world full of snakes, it was that you never reveal all of the cards in your hand at once. Especially those who had the power to snap their fingers and make your cards their own at any given moment.

Asmodeus raised an eyebrow at him before a cruel smile slipped across his face. “And why would I do that?” He asked, laughing when Alec’s face pinched slightly in annoyance.

“Because Magnus needs his magic as much as he needs air to breathe. If you hadn’t been so _selfish_ and-”

“Selfish?” The word was calm with no malice or venom, but Alec felt every instinct ingrained in his very blood lock in a whiplash of fight or flight that had him reeling for a few seconds before he could get his barring’s back and stand up a little straighter.

“I’m willing to bargain with you for it,” Alec said in as many words instead of finishing whatever tirade he’d been about to launch into mere seconds before. The interruption had been a warning, a silent second chance that wouldn’t be repeated and was a surprise to have come at all. It just showed how much the Greater Demon was curious to see what the Shadowhunter had to say that this deal was still possible and that he might get what he wanted with minimal compromise.

“And what is your bargain, young Shadowhunter? Certainly, you can’t have anything of equal or greater value to my sons’ centuries-old magic.” Asmodeus gave a glance behind Alec again before continuing. “Besides, I’ve gotten some good uses out of it since he gave it up _willingly_ for _your parabatai_.” Hissing out the last words, Alec forced himself to stay blank. Though a wave of fresh guilt washed over him, he pushed it into a corner to deal with later when he wasn’t in the middle of a very delicate situation.

“I have the souls of seven Nephilim that I’m willing to give to you.”

A long pause followed the statement before a hysterical laugh barked behind Alec.

“You can’t be serious, Lightwood? You’re already a blood traitor for sleeping with that Downworlder _whore,_ and now you’d give up the souls of your kind to fix a mess _he_ created?” Someone called.

“What would the Clave say if they could see you now? Making a deal with a fucking _Fallen_!” Another came after, and soon the room was alive with shouts of disbelief and rage before falling silent when Asmodeus began to laugh.

“Well, it seems like they aren’t too willing to give their souls over so easily, so it seems like you’ll have to find another way to bargain with me,” Asmodeus said eagerly, waiting with bated breath to see what the Shadowhunter would do.

“You say that as if you haven’t accepted deals with the participants less than willing in the first place?” Alec grit out before taking another deep breath to steady his boiling anger. “Besides, if it were just souls I had to offer, I would have used all of them to draw the circle currently holding you, but as it turns out, you only need six healthy adults for the amount of magic required to both summon and keep the holding and binding sigils strong.” Taking his eyes off the Greater Demon for the first time, Alec shifted to look over Asmodeus' shoulder at the bodies lying motionless in a heap close to the circle. Looking behind him to see what it was, a shiver of excitement visibly washing over the man as he took in the carnage.

“I see…” Turning back with a bright fire in his eyes that reminded Alec a little too much of a predator cornering its prey, Asmodeus seemed to consider. “I’m assuming that the one's behind you would be coming with me if I accept this deal to do with as I please? Does that sound about right?”

Alec nodded once as confirmation, and the angry yelling behind him started up again, but both men chose to ignore their captive audience in favor of sizing each other up.

“Interesting that you’re so willing to sell your people to reverse something that turned out ending perfectly in your favor, isn’t it? After all, now you both can grow old and die together. Even if you love my son like mortals hold so dear, I never imagined someone with angel blood would stoop so low as shedding that very same blood to deal with the devil. After all, I’m no Lucifer, but I am the King of Edom.”

“They’re circle members,” Alec said matter of fact with an unimpressed shrug like it was the most obvious thing in the world. And to him, it was. These people were his brothers and sisters in blessed blood only; they had chosen to kill innocents whose only crime was _their_ blood. As far as he was concerned, he was sending them to the place they were most deserving instead of where they would undoubtedly end up otherwise.

They stood there for what felt like long minutes until finally, the Greater Demon looked away first with a wave of his hand.

“No deal.”

“What?” Alec croaked when his mind came back online from the pure rage those words induced.

“I won’t repeat myself, but I suppose I’ll explain. This deal isn’t fair for me, I’m not getting much out of it but a few playthings that will only last me at most a handful of years if they don’t manage to get themselves killed, and then their souls will still go to Heaven since _they_ weren’t the ones to give me their souls.” Asmodeus sounded bored as if the answer had been easy, and he was talking to a child who didn’t understand. “And before you go back to your earlier comment that I chose to ignore, every deal I have made whatever the person has given me, they have done so of their own free will. After all, even under duress and desperate counts as free will when they’re offering it themselves. As for me giving an offer, everyone is free to decline if they so choose; after all, you can’t force someone to do what they don’t want, can you?”

Alec wanted to break something because, _yes, you can, and you did!_

“I learned that little lesson from the best teacher in the universe. Just ask my father of all beings, and he’d tell you the same thing.” Laughing at as if he’d said something funny, Asmodeus leaned against his cane as if he needed it.

Gritting his teeth so hard his jaw popped, Alec growled, “Then what would suit your interest that you’d be willing to bargain with me.”

The smile that Asmodeus sent him was enough for his annoyance to turn into bone-deep fear.

“Let me possess you.”

~~~

Asmodeus considered this young Shadowhunter for a moment, a mere child, no baby, compared to his eons of age, and then again took in their surroundings. Looking over the bodies and circle as he waited for the boy to snap out of his justifiable shock. He’d been testing the circle’s endurance this entire encounter and had found that it was the most securely he’d been trapped in a while, maybe in the past century? It seemed even his memory could get away from him from time to time, either that or he’d traded that memory away though it didn’t matter now. From the moment he’d sensed who was calling him, he already knew when this conversation would be about, just not the length this little mortal would go to, to get what he wanted. Luckily Asmodeus had been making deals since practically the day he’d Fallen, so he had all the experience in this world and Edom to turn this whole thing in his favor.

Never before had he been so excited to make a deal, if the Shadowhunter accepted that is.

“My siblings and I have always been at each other’s throats, as I’m sure you can imagine, having ones of your own.” The whiplash the topic change caused showed for only a second before the boy schooled his features back to a blank neutral. “We’re always trying to one-up each other, and within the last few decades, it’s been getting worse. With Lilith’s little brat on the board, she’s been a thorn in my side trying to take all of Edom for herself, and I’ve been thinking.” Walking around the circle’s perimeter, he kept his voice light, conversational, and kept Lightwood's attention. “If little Jonathan is the result of a Shadowhunter being _injected_ with demon’s blood, what exactly would happen if a Shadowhunter were to be _possessed_ by a demon?”

I am well aware that you have already been possessed by a demon before.” Asmodeus quickly interrupted when he saw the words were on the tip of the boy’s tongue. “What I’m interested in is, what would happen if a Greater Demon, or Fallen as your little friends back there pointed out, such as myself, were to inhabit one of my dear brother Raziel’s favored blessed?”

It took a moment, the wheels visibly working overtime in Lightwood’s head, as he was no doubt running over every outcome accepting and declining would bring.

“Why can’t you possess one of the other’s here to test your curiosities?” Lightwood asked, but Asmodeus was ready for that question.

“Because their souls are still visible by those of higher power, and let me say, each of them might be Nephilim, but their souls show just how corrupt they’ve become.”

“No shit…” Was whispered unintentionally, and Asmodeus found it more amusing than annoying.

“I have no interest in seeing what possession looks like on the corrupt. I already have plenty of knowledge on that particular subject. No, what I’m interested in is what possession would do to a soul as bright and pure as yours.” His voice purred, purposefully trying to make the Shadowhunter uncomfortable.

“There has to be someone else-”

“Clarissa Fairchild or your parabatai Jonathan Herondale would be the only ones I’d be willing to consider in placement of you.” The panic Asmodeus could see now swimming in the Shadowhunter’s eyes was pleasant to watch. “They are of a higher angelic blood concentration and would be interesting in their own right to test my theory on but no others.”

The last of Lightwood's confidence seemed to drain out like a gaping hole at the realization that he’d bitten off more than he could chew and was now choking on the choices. With the bravo mask gone, it seemed the Shadowhunter was just like any other mortal to summon something they didn’t understand how to handle. Unsure what to say and unable to control the ride once it started. The play of emotion’s across the boy's face came in quick succession that Asmodeus observed to see the exact moment he made his decision.

And he wasn’t disappointed when the dawning realization came down hard like a nail in a coffin in the form of wide eyes and shaking parted lips with a horrified, but firm whispered, “Deal.”

“Excellent.” Clapping his hands in a louder than necessary boom, he was disappointed when the only ones who jumped and cowered were the still tied up Nephilim behind the boy. He’d deal with them once everything was in order. “Come here to seal the agreement then. The quicker we get all this over with, the better, yes?” Prompting wasn’t his favorite form of manipulation, he much preferred digging into one’s insecurities and gaslighting guilt, but he supposed that it didn’t matter if it got him what he wanted. Curling his fingers in the motion for Lightwood to come closer, the Shadowhunter seemed to take a step forward before freezing. Asmodeus wondered if the boy was getting cold feet so soon but was mildly surprised to see him look behind him at his fellow Nephilim, who he hadn’t been able to use in his first bargain.

Before Asmodeus could ask what the problem was, the boy lashed out with a few precise and accurate thrusts of his hand and sent an array of daggers towards the small group. Each sharp tip finding its mark, and the quick screams of pain died down just as fast so that silence once again filled the room. The Shadowhunter looked back at him with a sort of defiance in his eyes that made Asmodeus pause.

“I hope you don’t mind that I voided my bargain?” Lightwood asked stiffly. “Since they held no interest to you the way I intended, I figured there was no point in keeping them alive. Plus, it gets rid of the temptation to steal a free payment for something you already denied.”

It seems the boy hadn’t lost all his edge after all.

Interesting.

Shrugging at the correct accusation to get back on schedule, he motioned for Lightwood to move closer once again, and this time the boy didn’t hesitate to step up to the circle as close as he could. Holding his arm out as far as the holding sigil would allow, Asmodeus felt excitement fire through his veins when the Shadowhunter grabbed his wrist and allowed his nail to dig into the thin layer of flesh there to seal the agreement in pain and blood.

Yanking the Shadowhunter into the circle, he smiled when the boy cried out as the demonic magic contained within its circumference weighed down on him all at once, trying to claw its way into his body.

“Now, for the fun part.” Asmodeus hissed as he let go of Lightwood's wrist in favor of placing it over his heart, and the other forced his face up so that they could look at each other. He wanted to see every moment of the mortals suffering. Channeling his magic to the body before him, he was pleased when it sank quickly into the flesh just like a newly sharpened knife, and purposefully slowly, he fed his magic into him.

Screams filled the room, growing higher and higher until Heaven itself could no doubt hear its child’s agony, and that was when Asmodeus channeled himself and the rest of his magic into the body in front of him.

~~~

They fell to the floor in a heap of limbs and pain, but it lasted only a moment before settling into just an odd fullness like their skin stretched the farthest it could go before bursting. Slowly raising their head, it was like seeing everything in an overlapping broken mirror effect. It should have made their head hurt, but they could see everything perfectly fine with some things merged and splintered when looked at from different angles.

“Interesting…” Asmodeus murmured aloud to see if he could, and it sounded like Alexander’s voice, though more how it would be coming through a heavy static radio than in person.

“What?” Alec tried next and found the same result. Testing his mobility, he tried moving his fingers and noticed that he could twitch a few fingers at a time, though it was lagging like running underwater. His attention to this new information shifted as his legs start to move without his control to stand them on slightly shaky legs. Trying to stop the action only resulted in delayed responses, but before he knew it, they were up, and Asmodeus seemed to be doing the same mobility check he had just been doing. Only with much better and slightly worrying results.

“Wait-”

“Shush boy, you agreed to this, remember?”

It was weird being cut off by himself, but Alec found that he had more pressing issues. “Yay but-” He tried, but Asmodeus made his mouth stop moving so he couldn’t voice any more protests. While the Greater Demon seemed to be checking out his new toy, Alec took the time to take in all that had happened.

It was different from his last possession he had to admit. Mostly the most significant difference he could spot was that his consciousness was still present instead of floating somewhere in the back of his mind on a dense haze. He could see and feel and probably remember this whole encounter after, though he was unsure if he wanted to. Even as Asmodeus marionetted his body as he wished, Alec still had a bit of say in how his body moved when he concentrated enough but no more than a small twitch or slight jerk here or there.

Finally, Asmodeus was pleased after checking to see the limitations on the Shadowhunter’s body with his conscious influence. Finding minimal resistance on the boy’s part, which he could work with, he began to think of what to do now. Summon his magic to their hands, he found that only a small spark appeared between the fingers that quickly dissipated into nothing after only a few seconds.

Hm.

Trying again, the same happened, and Asmodeus sighed. Turning their attention down towards the floor, he noticed that the circle looked different from when he’d first appeared inside it. Scanning over the sigils and symbols, he couldn’t see what it was that was amiss, but something in the back of his mind, a small and ancient thing, whispered that something was different and that he needed to be careful. Waving the concern off as a part of the boy’s conscience melding into his own, Asmodeus figured that the reason for his magic's reluctance to come to him was that the circle was still activated to contain him. But now, within the caster’s body, it was a mere matter of stepping out, and he should have all of his powers again.

And then he could visit his favorite son for an exciting family reunion.

Alec sensed that Asmodeus was planning something when he noticed the Greater Demon’s magic wasn’t coming so quickly at his call. Unsure of what was happening, he shouldn’t have been as shocked as he was when his body started stepping forward like there wasn’t a magical wall just feet from them meant to keep all things inside it.

Asmodeus wasn’t sure what it was that made him freeze just at the line of the circle. It wasn’t the Shadowhunter, though he could feel him trying with all his presents of mind to fight his body from moving forward the last few inches. A sense of foreboding rushed over him like a tidal wave, and it clicked what this feeling was.

A warning.

Asmodeus tilted their head back skyward and smiled towards whoever had sent the message before laughing.

“Asmodeus!” Alec cut across the maniacal laughter that sounded so wrong coming from his mouth. “Don’t cross the circle! The Angel’s-!”

“So you felt it too?” Asmodeus asked in wonder. Though he supposed that was a silly question to ask. The boy might not be in control, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t feel what was happening to his body. Forcing their lips shut again to keep the boy from talking, he let the full smile crawl back over their mouth and craned their neck as far back as it would go to show it off. With Alexander’s mental cry’s to stop and the foreboding warning turning into an almost physical itch under their skin, Asmodeus took the last step over the threshold and collapsed into holy agony.

Unwanted flashes of memories came rushing back as the sensation of _burning_ run through his – Lightwood’s – _their_ veins, and unwillingly his screams soon joined those of the Shadowhunter’s in a chorus of divine retribution. Forcing their eyes open, he could see that an actual fire had formed around them, roaring in a familiar cyclone that he had spent eons forcing himself to forget. Phantom pain wracked their back that felt like tearing flesh and breaking bones.

**_You have led another to fall, Child of Mine_**.

The voice burst their eardrums though not spoken aloud.

Even with all the pain he was feeling and reliving, there was no way in Heaven, Hell, or Earth, he would be able to mistake that voice.

“ _Creator_.” He forced the Shadowhunter’s voice to spit out though he couldn’t hear it anymore. He hoped it sounded as pissed as he felt.

**_This direct disobedience of the agreement between Lucifer and I shall not go unpunished. I tried to steer you from this, yet you still choose to ignore my guidance. Now, the consequences are yours and yours alone. As for your brother’s lost blessed, there is nothing I can do to stop what you’ve started, but I pray he takes his banishment with more dignity than you did._ **

The burning grew hotter, more concentrated in specific areas of the boy’s body, and suddenly, Asmodeus realized what was happening.

**_Farewell Child of Mine. Remember, this is the unforeseen consequence you chose the moment you took your brother's hand._ **

“ ** _NO!_** ”

The word gouged its way out of the lungs to claw up the throat and swell on the tongue until it grew too big to contain and forced itself past burnt and blistered lips. Though he was unsure of who exactly had been the one it meant to come from, with the situation turned so quickly on a dime, Asmodeus could only conclude that in this moment of shared torment, it made no difference.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave kudo's and comments to let me know what you thought!  
> If I missed any tags, please let me know.


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